Chapter 15
tuneful choir.
A mature Apollo was our old friend Laurie, but comely and genial as
ever; for time had ripened the freakish boy into a noble man. Care
and sorrow, as well as ease and happiness, had done much for him; and
the responsibility of carrying out his grandfather's wishes had been
a duty most faithfully performed. Prosperity suits some people, and
they blossom best in a glow of sunshine; others need the shade, and
are the sweeter for a touch of frost. Laurie was one of the former
sort, and Amy was another; so life had been a kind of poem to them
since they married--not only harmonious and happy, but earnest,
useful, and rich in the beautiful benevolence which can do so much
when wealth and wisdom go hand in hand with charity. Their house was
full of unostentatious beauty and comfort, and here the art-loving
host and hostess attracted and entertained artists of all kinds.
Laurie had music enough now, and was a generous patron to the class
he most liked to help. Amy had her proteges among ambitious young
painters and sculptors, and found her own art double dear as her
daughter grew old enough to share its labours and delights with her;
for she was one of those who prove that women can be faithful wives
and mothers without sacrificing the special gift bestowed upon them
for their own development and the good of others.
Her sisters knew where to find her, and Jo went at once to the
studio, where mother and daughter worked together. Bess was busy with
the bust of a little child, while her mother added the last touches
to a fine head of her husband. Time seemed to have stood still with
Amy, for happiness had kept her young and prosperity given her the
culture she needed. A stately, graceful woman, who showed how elegant
simplicity could be made by the taste with which she chose her dress
and the grace with which she wore it. As someone said: 'I never know
what Mrs Laurence has on, but I always receive the impression that
she is the best-dressed lady in the room.'
It was evident that she adored her daughter, and well she might; for